be present today. But gradually sandbar 

 and wave conditions change. Rip cur- 

 rents may disappear or change location. 

 And other weather conditions such as 

 wind directions and approaching storms 

 can affect the appearance of rips. 



Rip currents are most persistent 

 around natural features such as the rock 

 croppings at Fort Fisher or man-made 

 features such as jetties, groins or piers. 



Sun Exposure 



SUNBURN— Avoid too much 

 exposure to the sun. Heed dermatolo- 

 gists' advice: wear sunscreen to protect 

 your skin and avoid the possibility of 

 skin cancer. Sunburn puts a damper on a 

 fun vacation. 



Severely sunburned beachgoers can 

 experience painful, red skin; blisters; 

 fever; nausea; vomiting and headache. 

 To combat these symptoms, stay out of 

 the sun, use cool rags on the bum, take a 

 pain reliever every four hours, drink flu- 

 ids and seek medical assistance. 



Remember that you can be sun- 

 burned any time of the day, in the shade 

 or on cloudy days. 



HEAT EXHAUSTION, HEAT 

 CRAMPS AND STROKE — Pro- 

 longed exposure to the heat or sun with- 

 out the proper intake of fluids can cause 

 heat exhaustion, heat cramps or, even 



worse, heat stroke. These problems oc- 

 cur when the body loses fluid through 

 sweating and has difficulty releasing 

 excess heat. 



Symptoms of heat exhaustion are 

 perspiration, general weakness, pale 

 and clammy skin, nausea and dizziness. 

 Heat cramps, which occur in the abdo- 

 men or calves, are usually associated 

 with heat exhaustion. 



To treat heat exhaustion and 

 cramps: lie down and raise the legs a 

 foot above the head; loosen clothing; 

 apply cool, wet cloths; rest in an air- 

 conditioned room and slowly drink liq- 

 uids, such as Gatorade, which restore 

 important electrolytes and salts, every 

 15 minutes. If vomiting occurs, discon- 

 tinue fluids and seek a doctor. 



The symptoms for heat stroke, a 

 life-threatening emergency, include 

 rapid pulse, very high temperature (104 

 F to 106 F) and hot, dry skin. To treat 

 heat stroke, immediately cool the vic- 

 tim by immersing in or sponging with 

 ice water. The victim will become un- 

 conscious if his or her internal body 

 temperature exceeds 104 F. Seek medi- 

 cal assistance immediately if heat 

 stroke is suspected. Death will occur if 

 the victim is not treated. 



Dangerous 

 IVIarine Life 



Marine life teems along Tar Heel 

 beaches, but luckily most of the crea- 

 tures who call North Carolina home 

 pose no danger for the beachgoer. Only 

 a few creatures can be considered dan- 

 gerous. 



STINGRAYS — These graceful 

 creatures sometimes lie partially buried 

 along sound beaches and sand flats 

 near inlets. Although stingrays are gen- 

 erally timid, they will respond if 

 stepped on by lashing out with their 

 poisonous barbed tail. If a ray attacks, 

 you may suffer muscular aches and 



pains with possible paralysis, diar- 

 rhea, vomiting and possibly shock. 



Dodge recommends that stingray 

 victims seek medical help because 

 often the barb must be removed. To 

 avoid this creature's barb, do the stin- 

 gray shuffle — shuffle your feet 

 along the bottom instead of picking 

 them up and setting them down. 



JELLYFISH — Numerous vari- 

 eties of jellyfish in an assortment of 

 sizes, shapes and translucent colors 

 float in Tar Heel nearshore waters, 

 but only some have stinging ten- 

 tacles. Although the sting of a jelly- 

 fish is painful, it usually subsides 

 quickly after treatment with rubbing 

 alcohol or meat tenderizer. The Por- 

 tuguese man-of-war, a purplish jelly- 

 fishlike creature that floats at the 

 water's surface, packs more punch 

 with its venomous tentacles, which 

 can extend 50 feet from its body. The 

 tentacles can even release their 

 venom after the man-of-war has died 

 and washed up on the beach. Stay 

 well away from these creatures, and 

 seek a doctor if stung. □ 



COASTWATCH 21 



